Gladiator Auctorati-class Star Destroyer
Background The Gladiator Auctorati-class Star Destroyer (GSD-A or Gladiator III-class Star Destroyer) is a experimental Star Destroyer and is the brainchild of Commodore Valentino Mazzanti. As Corellian Engineering Corporation executives boast, "It took nineteen years, but the Gladiator-class Star Destroyer is finally up to it's potential." Essentially abandoned by Kuat Drive Yards in favor of heavier firepower vessels for use against the Rebel Alliance, the original Gladiator-class Star Destroyer & Gladiator II-class Star Destroyers were under-powered and outgunned against larger starships, even those fielded by the ragtag Rebel Alliance. Even worse, their overwhelming ground force presence (1,200 troops) were vastly under supported with mechanized armor and other support vehicles, making their ground force little more then cannon fodder in a combat zone. Henceforth, most of the ships of the Gladiator-class were left, mostly, to rot in non-essential Outer Rim commands or patrol the Core Worlds in relatively safe sectors. What Gladiators were build were easy targets for heavier firepower vessels if left alone without support. Still, Valentino Mazzanti felt there was something to be had from the poorly managed design and poorly gunned Gladiator-class and he used his extensive influence to have the Corellian Engineering Corporation buy the rights to the Gladiator-class from Kuat Drive Yards in 5 BBY. The Commodore needed an escort ship for his new Imperial Praetorian-class Star Destroyer---despite the objections from the Imperial Navy that such a ISD didn't need an escort----and he also needed a Cruiser to fill the gap between his new ISD-P and lighter Corvettes, such as the Vigil-class Corvette. Most importantly, he needed to make sure his cruiser was able to support itself in both space and ground operations if reinforcements were some time away. With the backing of the Imperial Navy Research, Development, and Engineering Center---for whom he was assigned to---Valentino started construction on the Gladiator Auctorati-class Star Destroyer or, more commonly, the Gladiator III-''class Star Destroyer by overhauling and refitting older ''Gladiator I & Gladiator II-class Star Destroyers. Despite the relative small warship in comparison to larger Star Destroyers, the project was kept top secret, with construction deep in the Kris Asteroid Cluster, as was similar construction of Valentino's Imperial Praetorian-class Star Destroyer. Overhaul & Refit An Gladiator Auctorati-class Star Destroyer is, essentially, an Gladiator-class Star Destroyer or Gladiator II-class Star Destroyer overhauled & refit to an Gladiator Auctorati-class Star Destroyer. The improvements included: 1) The internal structural skeleton of the Star Destroyer to be overhauled & refitted with reinforced quadanium steel, as well as the exterior armored hull be upgraded with Titanium-reinforced Alusteel. 2) While external combat shielding remained standard with a Gladiator II, the Star Destroyer did see all their engines replaced with newer Corellian Engineering Corporation built engines; this increased the speed from 60 MGLT to 65 MGLT in space and also increased maximum acceleration & atmospheric speeds. 3) In addition, the Gladiator Auctorati-class Star Destroyer benefited from another not-so-common Gladiator II refit with the upgrade of their targeting systems from the standard issue Gladiator II refit to an experimental use with St2x Targeting Computers that were redesigned for use with capital-sized starships. 4) Along with the targeting computers, the Imperial Navy experimented with refitting the Gladiator Auctorati's weaponry: * 6 Dual Turbolaser Turrets ** 3 port; super structure ** 3 starboard, super structure) * 9 Light Dual Turbolaser Turrets ** 2 Anterior (one to either side of the opening of the main hanger bay) ** 3 Dorsal (ascending super structure in stepped format from bottom to 3rd "structure" up) ** 4 Aft (one each dorsal and ventral on port & starboard mini super structure along aft) * 45 Dual Light Gun Batteries ** 15 dorsal (5 bow, 5 port, 5 starboard) ** 10 trench line (5 port, 5 starboard) ** 15 ventral (5 bow, 5 port, 5 starboard) ** 5 Aft; 2 dorsal, 3 ventral * 3 Tractor Beam Projectors (1 at each hanger) 5) The Star Destroyer received a new & experimental I-a2b Type E Mini Ionization Reactor. 6) The primary hanger bay and trooper barracks were heavily modified, reducing the original 1,200 troops to 697 troops, and increasing the hanger size into the reduced trooper barracks to increase the mechanized armor capacity. This was done so a Gladiator Auctorati could be more lethal---with a smaller ground force---and be able to operate independent of reinforcements for some time if the situation was manageable as such. Category:Imperial